10% of hospitalized COVID-19 patients are 40 or younger: Canada’s top doctor

Young people are not immune from serious health consequences from COVID-19, Canada’s top doctor warned.

Dr. Theresa Tam said 10 per cent of Canada’s hospitalized cases are people under the age of 40. As of Tuesday (March 31) morning, Tam said there were 7,708 cases and 89 deaths as a result of the virus. About three per cent of the more than 225,000 people tested have returned positive results.

“Young are not spared from severe outcomes,” Tam said at the now-daily update from Canadian minister and health officials.

“An individual in their 30s died yesterday from COVID-19.”

The highest number of cases are in Quebec with more than 3,400, while Ontario has around 2,000. B.C. has 970.

Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland said increased monitoring and screening have been set up for healthcare workers that cross the border between Canada and the U.S.

Officials have said this week is crucial in the fight against COVID-19, with physical distancing and quarantines more important than ever.

“If we take the right actions we can have the least bad outcomes for Canada,” Freeland said.

“We all need to be prepared for the reality, which is that the situation is going to get worse before it gets better. That is the unfortunate truth of where we are right now.”

Tam said health officials are aiming for an end of pandemic-level transmission, hoping that each infected person does pass on the virus to more than one other person.

“If one person passes it to two people, your epidemic continues,” she said.